Strapless support means for a guitar



March 5, 1968 L. D. LESTER STRAPLESS SUPPORT MEANS FOR A GUITAR Filed March 10, 1967 FIG. I

INVENTOR LUTHER D. LESTER United States Patent 3,371,570 STRAPLESS SUPPORT MEANS FOR A GUITAR Luther D. Lester, Madison Hotel, 223 Madison Ave., Memphis, Tenn. 38103 Filed Mar. 10, 1967, Ser. No. 622,288 5 Claims. (Cl. 84327) ABSTRACT OF THE DISQ'JLGSURE An assembly adapted for securement on the back of a guitar body for supporting the guitar in a playing position. The assembly includes at least one downwardly projecting hook fixed at the back of the guitar body and adapted to be hooked over the belt or waist-encircling garment of the musician or player.

Background of the invention (1) Field of the inventi0n.The invention pertains to support means for supporting musical instruments as they are being played, and particularly string instruments such as guitars and the like or instruments that are plucked or strummed. The invention is particularly concerned with improvements in the hollow body or resonant type guitar or to the so-called folk guitar.

(2) Description of the prior art.A typical means of supporting a folk-type guitar is by means of a sling or strap which is attached at the opposite ends thereof to the opposite end portions of the guitar. In using a guitar having such support means, the sling or strap is passed over the back of the players neck, or is supported diagonally across the shoulders of the player. Other folk guitar support means have been designed which utilized a specially-shaped waist belt or which utilized a special harness worn about the waist and to which harness the guitar is removably attached or snapped. Such guitar supporting means is disclosed in Patent No. 3,102,446. A guitar support means of another design includes a short strap attached at one end thereof to the guitar body The other end of the strap is provided with a hook which is adapted to be detachably hooked over the belt of the player. Such a device is disclosed in Patent No. 3,037,416.

Various problems have become apparent in using the prior art devices: When using the simple one-strand sling about the neck as a support means, the instrument has a tendency to shift in such a manner as to cause difiiculty in properly positioning the instrument. Also, the weight of the instrument is carried on the neck or the upper part of the body and this causes substantial back strain to the player. This is particularly so if the player performs in a standing position and plays for extended periods.

The prior art waist-supported type guitar support means have also presented problems: When a harness or special belt is worn, such structure is troublesome to put on or takeoff and it is unsightly when worn with or without the instrument. Moreover, the player often experiences considerable difficulty in readjusting the belt or harness and in re-positioning his instrument; such re-positioning could not be done quickly. Also, the instrument could not be detached quickly in the event of an accident or should the performer lose his footing or balance.

Summary The invention provides a substantially simple but effective means for supporting a guitar and such support means particularly useful for supporting the guitar while the player performs in a standing position. One or more hooked lugs are secured at the back of the guitar and the player has only to hook a desired one of the lugs at a desired place on his belt or-waist garment in order to comfortably and properly position his instrument. The lug members are secured to a bridge member which spans and is secured to the back of the guitar but is not attached directly to the resonant-producing parts of the body or sound box of the guitar; the bridge member is attached only along the corner edges of the guitar sound box; such an attachment prevents the musical sound from being impaired or distorted as would be the case if the lugs were attached directly to the body of the guitar.

The invention does not include auxiliary components such as special belts or harness which must be fitted to the player and which are tedious to don or doif or adjust. The support means of the present invention is unitary and is entirely fitted or carried by the instrument; it may be secured on the instrument as a permanent part thereof. The support means does not include unsightly straps or the like which detract from the appearance of a performer. The small support means is arranged at the back of the guitar and it is substantially concealed from the view of the audience. The guitar may be quickly lifted and disengaged from the waist garments of the player; such arrangement permits the player to regain his footing should he lose his balance or become entangled in cords or the like or should an emergency arise and he should want to quickly detach the guitar from his person.

Brief description of lhe drawings FIG. 1 is an elevational view showing the guitar support means of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a back view of the guitar with the support assembly of the invention attached thereto and showing the guitar arranged in a diagonal playing position and showing also a phantom fragmentary rear view of the waist section of the player.

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken as on the line III-III of FIG. 2.

Deicription of the preferred embodiment The guitar support means, indicated by numeral 11, is described in conjunction with a typical folk-type guitar 13 including a hollow sound box or body 15, a neck 17, and a plurality of strings '19 stretched over an opening 21 in the body of the guitar. The guitar body typically includes generally parallel arranged front and back panels 23, 25 and a side panel 27 interposedly securing the circumferential edge portions of the front and back body panels together. The edge portions respectively of front and back panels 23, 25 and side panel 27 are respectively right angularly secured together and define substantially front and back rigid substantially non-vibratable corner portions 28 extending circumferentially about the front and back panels. Molding strips 29, 31, triangular in cross section, are secured respectively along the interior inside corner surfacesof front, back and side panels 23, 25, 27 and reinforce body 15. For purposes of description, guitar body 15 will be considered as having a butt end 33, and a shoulder end 35.

Guitar support means 11 is preferably formed of plastic material and may optionally be fabricated from several pieces of sheet plastic or may be of integral one piece plastic form. For purposes of clarity in description, guitar support 11 will be described as including a bridge member 37 and a pair of lug members 39, 39'. Bridge member 37 is generally rectangular and includes a substantially broad panel-like major portion 41 and a generally U-shaped spacer rib portion 43 arranged around the periphery and ofifset laterally from inward face surface 45 of major portion 41. U-shaped spacer rib portion 43 projects flangelike along three sides of the substantially four-sided major portion 41. For purposes of description, U-shaped rib portion 43 will be considered as including left, right and medial rib portions 47, 49 and 51 respectively as best seen in FIG. 1. The remaining side of major portion 41 is 3 defined by a substantially straight edge portion 53 extending generally parallel with and oppositely arranged relative to spacer rib medial portion 51.

Bridge member 37 is adhesively secured over body back panel 25 and preferably over the back panel adjacent the shoulder end portion of body 15. Cement, indicated 55, interposedly secures corresponding surfaces of left, right and medial bridge member rib portions 47, 49, 51 with corresponding body back panel left, right and shoulder edge portions 57, 59, 61. It will be noted that when bridge member 37 is secured in place major portion 41 is spaced from back panel 25.

It should be understood that although bridge member 37 has been above described as including a major portion 41 bounded on three sides by U-shaped rib portion 43 and with such rib member secured over the shoulder end portion of the guitar body, other bridge member configurations in other practical applications of the invention may be desirable. As an example, the bridge member may span the mid portion of the guitar body back panel, and in such an application, the bridge member would be configured with only oppositely arranged right and left spacer rib portions (47, 49). Such a bridge member configuration would be tunnel-like and include oppositely arranged edge portions as edge portions 53. In another modification of the above structure, and in other applications of the guitar support structure, it may be desirable to support the bridge member in cantilevered fashion from only one edge portion of the guitar body back panel. in each of the modifications of the bridge member .(37), that feature which is of primary importance is the feature wherein the bridge member is supported from a nonvibratable rigid corner portion of the intersecting side and back panels of the guitar body.

Lug members 39, 39' are preferably fixedly secured on the outward face surface 63 of bridge member major portion 41. Lug members 39, 39 include respectively base and hook portions 65, 67 and 65', 67'. Lug members 3%, 3? preferably are formed of plastic material and preferably fixedly secured as with cement on the outward face surface 63 of bridge member 37. Lug members 39, 39' are secured at a desired location on outward face surface 63 of bridge member 37 at a place which is comfortable for the musician. The placement or positioning of lug members 39, 39 on bridge member 37 is determined su stantially by the shape and the size of the guitar or guitar body and also by the physique and personal playing habits of the particular performer. The lug members are respectively placed in such a manner that hook portions 67, 67' thereof are in generally parallel spaced arrangement with the major portion outward face surface 63 of bridge member 37 and with each hook portion 67, 67 projecting generally obliquely toward the butt end portion of the guitar body and generally obliquely from a longitudinal center line of the body.

In using a guitar having the support means of the invention secured thereto, the performer has only to insert the hook portion of a desired one of lugs 39, 3? at a desired place on his belt or waist garment. To detach the guitar from his person, the performer has only to lift and detach the hook portion from his belt or waist garment.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that it is not to be so limited since changes and modifications may be-made therein which are within thefull intended scope of this invention as hereinafter claimed.

1' claim:

1'. Guitar'support means adapted for securement on the body of a guitar, the guitar body including an oblong generally flat back panel having generally longitudinally extending transversely spaced left and right edge portions and generally transversely extending longitudinally spaced shoulder edge and butt edge portions, the guitar support means comprising bridge means including a generally rectangular bridge structure including a substantially broad panel-like major portion having inward and outward face surfaces and including spacer means including left and right spacer portions arranged respectively along opposite portions ofsaid major portion and offset laterally from said inward face surface of said major portion; securing means for fixedly securing said bridge means on said guitar back panel including means for securing re spectively said left and right spacer portions substantially directly to said left and right edge portions of said back panel, said bridge means being secured with said inward face surface of said major portion confrontingly arranged with and spaced from said guitar back panel; and at least one lug means secured on said outward face surface of said major portion and including an oblong hook portion spaced generally parallel to and outwardly from said major portion outward face surface and projecting generally obliquely toward said butt edge portion of said guitar body and generally obliquely from a longitudinal center line of said body.

2. The guitar support means of claim 1 in which said spacer means in addition to said left and right spacer portions includes a medial spacer portion generally arranged medially of said left and right spacer portions and offset laterally from said inward face surface of said major portion, and in which said securing means additionally includes means for securing said medial spacer portion substantially directly to said shoulder edge portion of said guitar body back panel.

3. The guitar support means of claim 2 in which said spacer means is in the form of a generally U-shaped unbroken spacer rib and in which said left, right and medial spacer portions are integrally formed.

4. The guitar support means of claim 3 in which said bridge means major portion includes an edge portion spaced oppositely from and extending generally parallel with said medial spacer portion and in which said bridge means is arranged substantially confrontingly over approximately half the area of said guitar body back panel and that area defined in part by said shoulder portion, and with said major portion edge portion extending in spaced arrangement with and across substantially a mid part of the guitar body back panel.

5. The combination with a folk-type guitar including a hollow box-like body having an oblong back panel having a major portion and including a side panel at least partially extending about the periphery of said back panel and with the edge portions respectively of said back and side panels being joined in right angular relationship and defining a rigid substantially non-vibratable corner portion extending at least partially about said back panel, of guitar support means for supporting the guitar body from the belt or waist encircling garment of a musician comprising a lug member having an oblong hook portion and means for fixedly placing said lug member in relationship to said body with said lug member being fixedly rigidly supported from said non-vibratable corner portion and with said lug member hook portion being perpendicularly laterally distant from and arranged substantially parallel with said guitar body major portion; the guitar body being adapted to be supported in a playing position with the lug member hook portion being detachably hooked over the belt or waist-encirclinggarment of the musician.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1959 Montenare 84-327 6/1962 Cunningham 84327 

